BusinessMarch 19, 2018
Business Notebook: Pacific Rim Market offers unique Asian groceries in Cape
Hungry for a little Thai, maybe Chinese, or how about some Indian delights? Or perhaps some Korean, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese or Japanese cuisine for tonight? All of these and many more exotic Asian foods (and some from Central American) may be found at the Pacific Rim Market, 1537 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau...
Julie Pruitt
Hungry for a little Thai, maybe Chinese, or how about some Indian delights? Or perhaps some Korean, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese or Japanese cuisine for tonight?
All of these and many more exotic Asian foods (and some from Central American) may be found at the Pacific Rim Market, 1537 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau.
According to Robert Wade, one of the store's proprietors, the Pacific Rim Market is the only Asian market between St. Louis and Memphis, Tennessee.
"People come from as far away as Doniphan, Farmington, Poplar Bluff and Paducah, [Kentucky]," Maria Wade said.
The Pacific Rim started business at its current location in October 2008. Maria is the owner, and her husband, Robert, a pharmaceutical representative, helps out when he can.
"We started in the basement of our house," Robert Wade. "We did it that way for about a year or so, until we came across this building."
The building's colorful outdoor neon sign dotted with palm trees was bought from a place in Florissant, Missouri, that was going out of business. That's how the store came to be named the Pacific Rim Market of Cape Girardeau.
Maria Wade has been working in grocery retail ever since she lived in the Philippines, her home country. She and Robert met while he was on duty as a United States Marine, stationed there.
About 50 percent of the customers that frequent Pacific Rim are Asian (many are students at Southeast Missouri State University) and the rest are Cape Girardeau locals, looking for something new and different to try, the Wades said.
"Almost every day, we meet at least one new customer," Maria said.
The Wades said most of their new customers have heard about the Pacific Rim by word of mouth.
Another customer is Isle Casino Cape Girardeau.
"We supply the casino with Asian food. We are one of their vendors," Maria said.
Wade said she travels to St. Louis once a week to stock up on products, including sushi, Chinese dumplings, pho soup, hot-pot seasonings, halal ingredients, gluten-free products, Indian besan, microwavable foods, Indian snacks, nuts, various rare flours, Middle Eastern chocolate, Asian spices, Asian teas and coffees, all kinds of noodles, 2X Spicy (a product that is making the rounds on the internet as a challenge to eat because of its intense spicy hotness), jackfruit and sweets, among many others.
"If someone requests an item that we don't have, we will special order it," Maria Wade said. "We try out new items. If they are successful, we will continue to stock them."
"I was a meat and potato guy, raised on a farm," Robert Wade said. "As a salesman, I knew that I couldn't sell products that I hadn't tried myself. I opened my palette to one thing, and then another, and another."
Robert Wade said he now has an acquired taste for Asian cuisine.
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!
"I suggest that people just try things when they come in," he said.
In the future, Maria Wade said she would like to have an area in the store where she may demonstrate how to cook Asian recipes.
"We get lots of requests from people asking how to prepare certain dishes," Robert Wade said.
The Pacific Rim Market is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 6 p.m. Sundays.
New real estate office to open in Jackson
Century 21 Ashland Realty will open a location at 3055 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson within 60 to 90 days, said Patty Main, realtor with the Cape Girardeau office.
PCMH Emergency Department construction underway
As of Thursday, the Perry County Memorial Hospital Emergency Department has started treating patients in a temporary building immediately adjacent to the old emergency department, according to a recent news release. All patients seeking emergency care should enter through the marked patient entrance on the right side of the temporary building. The temporary location has a walk-in patient entrance and an Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible ramp entrance.
Additionally, patients visiting the hospital for outpatient services during the hours of 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. can continue to enter through the main lobby doors and register at the daytime admitting offices, the released stated.
Construction on the current emergency department is estimated to be completed within six months, according to the release.
Ribbon cuttings
The District at Cape will hold a ribbon cutting at 4 p.m. Tuesday at 430 S. Spring St. in Cape Girardeau to celebrate the recent remodel of its residence center.
Legacy Hospice will hold a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. Thursday at 1435 N. Mount Auburn Road, Suite 201, to celebrate the grand opening of its Cape Girardeau location.
KLG Engineering will hold a ribbon cutting at 4 p.m. Thursday at 338 Broadway, fourth floor, in Cape Girardeau.
JHA Saddle and Tack held a grand opening celebration Saturday at its new store at 21367 Highway 177 in Jackson. The store carries a full line of Ariat and Twisted C boots, along with brand-name clothing and more items.
Business licenses
William Klingeman applied for a license to operate KP, a convenience store, at 310 Crites St. in Scott City.
C. Edward Ross applied for a license to operate a temporary location for Ross Furniture Inc. at 210 S. Silver Springs Road in Cape Girardeau. Opening date is listed as May 1.
Chris Manwell and Chip Hults applied for a license to operate Zaxby's, a restaurant specializing in chicken fingers and wings, sandwiches and salads, at 407 Cape West Crossing in Cape Girardeau. Opening date is listed as June 4.
Business reporter Marybeth Niederkorn compiled this article.
mniederkorn@semissourian.com
(573) 388-3630
Story Tags
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.
Advertisement
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!
